The #30daymapchallenge is a social media event where map enthusiasts create maps based on daily topics throughout the 30 days in November. You can find more details here. Posting every single day is not really mandatory – many participants just choose to focus on their favourite themes.
Having witnessed many years of #30DayMapChallenge, this year is my first time participating. I initially thought it would be incredibly difficult, but I quickly found that the hardest part was simply getting started. Now, after surviving the entire November, I’m proud to say I have successfully completed the challenge and created 30 maps in 30 consecutive days!
In this article, I’ll share the maps I created for the challenge, along with some of my thoughts during the process and the tools I used.
DATA SOURCES
- Australian Digital boundary files
- Copernicus Browser
- Queensland Historical Atlas
- The Humanitarian Data Exchange
- World Integrated Trade Solution
- Open Data Portal, Ministry of Digital Affairs, Taiwan
- Digital Atlas of Australia
- ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World
- Armed Conflict Location & Event Data
- Overture Maps Explorer
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Points | 2. Lines | 3. Polygons | 4. Hexagons | 5. A journey | 6. Raster | 7. Vintage style | 8. Data: HDX | 9. AI only | 10. Pen & paper | 11. Arctic | 12. Time and space | 13. A new tool | 14. A world map | 15. Data: My data | 16. Choropleth | 17. Collaborative map | 18. 3D | 19. Typography | 20. Data: OpenStreetMap | 21. Conflict | 22. 2 colours | 23. Memory | 24. Only circular shapes | 25. Heat | 26. Map projections | 27. Micromapping | 28. The blue planet | 29. Data: Overture | 30. The final map
Day 1: Points
To kick it off, I created a map showcasing all the Australian universities offering GIS or Geospatial Master’s programs. I believe this will be a valuable resource for anyone looking to start their career in geospatial sciences. The map itself was straightforward to create, but mostof my time was spent reviewing each university’s website to confirm whether they still offer geospatial Master’s programs. Sadly, I discovered that Charles Sturt University plans to discontinue its Master of GIS and Remote Sensing program from 2025.
For more information, feel free to read this article: GIS/Geospatial Master Programs in Australia
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Microsoft PowerPoint
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #1daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #points #gis…
Day 2: Lines
I got this idea of plotting Australia’s borderlines from watching this YouTube video: Australia’s Weird Geographical Quirks. It was fascinating to learn that many state borders, which appear straight at smaller scales, are actually far from perfectly straight. Someone commented on my LinkedIn post saying that the Queensland Premier and the Northern Territory Cheif Minister should "pistol at dawn" to settle the border dispute between the two states.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #victoria #newsouthwales #southaustralia…
Day 3: Polygons
As a Taiwanese living in Brisbane’s northern suburbs, I often travel across the city to Sunnybank to enjoy food from my hometown. This got me thinking about the distribution of Taiwanese restaurants and how accessible they are to different suburbs. I created a map to explore this, and it sparked a lot of interest on LinkedIn. Many people even asked me to make similar maps for their cities……So when I have some free time, I’d love to take on the challenge!
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #polygons #gis #taiwan… | 41…
Day 4: Hexagon
I didn’t have much experience with hexagonal maps before creating this one, but I found that hexagonal grids are quite effective for visualising raster values. Using Sentinel-2 imagery, I calculated the NDVI values to represent Brisbane’s vegetation density, and the hexagonal format proved to be an excellent way to present this data.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #hexagons #gis #vegetation…
Day 5: A journey
At first, I considered mapping some of my own journeys, but then I thought – how boring would that be? Instead, I decided to map something far more meaningful: the journey of plastic waste. Many people don’t realise the vast extent of this pollution. With tools like the Plastic Tracker, you can trace the trajectory of a piece of plastic waste starting from your city and see the impact it has on our environment.
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #ajourney #gis #ocean #plastic…
Tool used: Plastic Tracker, Canva
Day 6: Raster
I’ll admit, this is an older project I worked on last year, but I never shared it online. I used Python to retrieve satellite imagery of Palm Beach on the Gold Coast. I performed some image processing, and analysed the data to detect changes over time. The results clearly show a noticeable shift in the coastline.
Tool used: DEA Sandbox, Python, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #raster #gis #coastalerosion…
Day 7: Vintage style
For this map, I explored some old maps of Brisbane and searched for photos from the same era. I’ve always been fascinated by old photos and maps of places I now experience in a modern context. Looking at this map, it’s interesting to see how the city’s core layout remains recognisable even after 129 years.
Tool used: Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #vintagestyle #gis #oldmap…
Day 8: Data: HDX
This was my first time working with data from HDX. I found an Australia Healthsites dataset and created a map of pharmacy proximity zones in inner Brisbane, featuring the three major chain pharmacies. The colour scheme was a bold choice – I wasn’t a big fan of it myself but just wanted to replicate the vibrant, sometimes jarring colour palettes often seen in Australian pharmacies!
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #priceline #terrywhite #chemistwarehouse…
Day 9: AI only
For this "AI-only" map, I didn’t simply ask AI to generate a map for me. Instead, I had AI list the companies involved in NVIDIA’s global supply chain and write Python code to create the map. To my surprise, I spent far more time than expected fine-tuning details with AI, such as label placement and creating an inset map. I actually think the result is quite impressive, but next time, I think I’d still prefer to create the map myself!
Tool used: ChatGPT, Claude
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #numpy #matplotlib #cartopy #taiwan…
Day 10: Pen & paper
I know the theme is "Pen & paper," but I wasn’t too keen on picking up a pen and showcasing my less-than-perfect drawing skills. Instead, I decided to create a map about pens using available data from World Bank. I know paper is missing this time – maybe I’ll save that for a future map!
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #penandpaper #gis #pens…
Day 11: Arctic
Not too long ago, I came across a map by my colleague Amy Barnes titled "The World According to Taylor Swift." The idea that artists tend to visit the same specific countries and cities on a "world" tour is quite funny. Inspired by this, I created a map for the English rock band Arctic Monkeys (though I admit it’s a bit of a stretch for the theme "Arctic"). Someone commented on my LinkedIn post, pointing out that Joss Stone’s world tour is a true world tour, covering nearly every country – and I have to say, that’s incredibly impressive!
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #arcticmonkeys #world #world #30daymapchallenge2024…
Day 12: Time and space
We Taiwanese people take great pride in our Taipei Metro! It’s one of the busiest railway systems globally, renowned for its reliability, efficiency, safety, and cleanliness. I created an animated map visualising the metro system’s construction progress from 1996 to the present. This was my first time making this type of animation, so it was a fantastic learning experience for me as well.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #taipeimetro #taiwanrailway #taiwanhighspeedrail…
Day 13: A new tool
I first heard about kepler.gl years ago and knew it could create stunning visualisations for large datasets. However, this was my first time actually using the tool. In the process, I made an unfortunate mistake – I accidentally left out Tasmania while adjusting the view angle from west to east. Sorry Tassie!
Tool used: kepler.gl
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #anewtool #gis #population…
Day 14: A world map
People are calling 2024 the "Year of Elections," with over 100 countries holding elections this year. When I learned this fact, I immediately thought about creating a world map showcasing these elections. Most of my time spent on making this map was spent researching information on Wikipedia and editing portraits of the elected presidents to include in the visualisation.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #presidentialelections #30daymapchallenge2024…
Day 15: Data: My data
In my previous role at Mapxus, I spent a significant amount of time creating indoor map data for a project in Japan. During this process, I documented all the locations of the premises I worked on. Using this data, I created a heat map that effectively highlights Japan’s population centres.
Tool used: Google My Maps, Felt, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #datamydata #gis #mapxus…
Day 16: Choropleth
I was inspired by a bit from my friend, comedian Henry Yan, on Instagram about overseas-born residents (video). This map highlights that the southern part of Brisbane has an exceptionally high percentage of residents born overseas.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #choropleth #gis #overseasborn…
Day 17: Cololaborative Map
When I saw the theme was "collaborative map," I realised it was a bit late to find someone to collaborate with (and, honestly, I was feeling a bit lazy!). So instead, I shared an interactive map I really enjoy: the Cities and Memory sound map. There’s also a Taiwanese version of a sound map that’s worth exploring!
Tool used: Cities and Memory sound map
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #citiesandmemorysoundmap #australia…
Day 18: 3D
I’ve always loved 3D modelling, though most of my experience was in SketchUp. I hadn’t done much 3D visualisation in GIS before, so for this challenge, I followed John Nelson‘s tutorial on How to Make a 3D Diorama in ArcGIS Pro. After I shared my map, John reshared my tweet – and I was thrilled because he’s one of my mapping heroes!
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #3d #gis #sunmoonlake #taiwan…
Day 19: Typography
At first, I thought this task would be super simple. I used a country map as the basemap, looked online for the most common surname in each country, and added the text to the map. However, adding the text turned out to be far more tedious than I expected! Eventually, I completed the map, but my biggest regret is forgetting to include the Philippines. My apologies to my Filipino friends!
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #typography #gis #surname #map
Day 20: Data: OpenStreetMap
This is another map I’ve been wanting to make for a while. I’ve always found it fascinating to map the store distributions of retail competitors (e.g., Coles vs. Woolworths, Big W vs. Kmart vs. Target). From this map, we can see that many suburbs have both Woolworths and Coles. However, in areas where there’s only one, suburbs with Woolworths outnumber those with Coles.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #coles #woolworths #30daymapchallenge2024…
Day 21: Conflict
The map aligns closely with the day’s theme, "conflict," using data from ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data). Through this heat map, we can identify current conflict hotspots around the world. It’s no surprise that Ukraine and Gaza emerge as major hotspots, while in southern Brazil, political tensions between the police and drug trafficking groups also stand out.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #conflict #gis #battles…
Day 22: 2 colours
I spent some time thinking about how to create an interesting map using just two colours. Eventually, I decided to make it more playful by looking for place names that fit with the colours. The GIS task itself was relatively simple – finding places with their attributes and adjusting the symbology – but I found it quite enjoyable, especially when I came across names like bREDdan, fREDericksfield, and cREDiton.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #2colours #gis #red #blue…
Day 23: Memory
When I shared the old map of Brisbane on Day 7, it received a lot of positive feedback, so I decided to create another vintage-style map! Jules Verne’s "Around the World in Eighty Days" was one of my favourite novels as a child, and I think it sparked my interest in Geography. This map was relatively simple to make, but I truly enjoyed the process and the memories it brought back.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #memory #gis…
Day 24: Only circular shapes
For this topic, I created a map of Australian Local Government Areas (LGAs) using circular shapes, with each circle’s size representing the land area of the LGA. One person commented that if the circle sizes were based on population, Brisbane would stand out. I completely agree, but I specifically chose land area to preserve Australia’s recognisable shape. Using population size could result in overwhelming clusters in major cities while leaving large empty spaces in the inland regions.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #onlycircularshapes #gis #lga…
Day 25: Heat
I’ve been waiting for this topic because earlier this year, I did my research on urban heat islands! I analysed data from 216 cities worldwide and developed machine learning models to predict how urban environments trap and intensify heat. I’ve created a dashboard showcasing the findings – feel free to check it out here.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Dashboards
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #heat #gis #urbanheatisland #map
Day 26: Map projections
To make the map for the day, I decided to experiment with projections. Have you ever seen Perth positioned in the centre of the world? I sure hadn’t! As the most isolated major city in the world, most international flights from Perth take at least four hours, with the longest flight to London lasting a whopping 17.5 hours!
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #azimuthalequidistantprojection…
Day 27: Micromapping
As an F1 fan, I always wanted to make an F1 map since I started this challenge. "Micromapping" feels like the perfect topic for it, as I can zoom in to map the starting grid of one of the Grand Prix. Being in Australia, I chose the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. And by the way, congrats to Max on winning the World Champion title!
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #formula1 #30daymapchallenge2024 #micromapping #gis…
Day 28: The blue planet
Originally, I planned to create a map of other "blue planets" in our solar system, like Uranus and Neptune, but I couldn’t find much data. I didn’t want to rely on generic images or models of the planets. So instead, I decided to map our own blue planet, but an even bluer version. Worth noting that this is a simplified model – real-world flooding patterns would be influenced by countless geological and hydrological factors.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #theblueplanet #gis…
Day 29: Data: Overture
Two years ago, I heard that Meta, Microsoft, AWS, and TomTom were teaming up to launch the Overture Maps Foundation. It was an exciting development, but I never got the chance to experiment with Overture Maps data. This time, I created a skyline visualisation for Brisbane’s CBD. In ArcGIS Pro, I used the height field to set the extrusion and create the 3D visualisation. While it gives an approximate view of the skyline, it doesn’t capture the building shapes.
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #dataoverture #gis #skyline…
Day 30: The final map
For the "final" map, once again, I decided to take a playful approach. I searched for place names with "final" in them and eventually came across a small town in Italy called "Finale," which means "final" in Italian. I used different colours to represent the bars, clinics, hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets in the town. And with that, we’ve reached the end of the #30DayMapChallenge 2024!
Tool used: ArcGIS Pro, Canva
Glenn Kong on LinkedIn: #30daymapchallenge #30daymapchallenge2024 #thefinalmap #gis #finale…
This year’s #30DayMapChallenge has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It pushed me to explore new mapping techniques, experiment with different data, and think outside the box.
One of the highlights of this challenge was seeing the amazing work of others and contributing to the conversation on social media. I received valuable feedback, comments, and compliments on my tweets and LinkedIn posts, which made the experience even more enjoyable.
I believe this challenge is a fantastic opportunity for cartographers or GIS enthusiasts to sharpen their skills and build their own map gallery. Now that this year’s challenge is complete, I’m already looking forward to next year’s #30DayMapChallenge in 11 months! But for now, I’ll enjoy a few days of rest before diving back into making maps every day!
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My name is Glenn Kong. You can find me on Medium or LinkedIn.
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